The story of Moses leading the people out of Egypt reminds me so much of the struggle and victory of African Americans. For many years Moses led the people from one desert to another, preaching and teaching the word of God and his promise of leading the children of Israel to the Promised Land. It’s amazing what I found when I compared the two victories.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s short lived life was one full of purpose and it is appropriate to say that had it not been for his vision and leadership African Americans would not be where we are today! Dr. King preached about the Promised Land and how all we needed to do was hold on and keep the faith and that one day we would make it… And we did!

The children of Israel traveled an extensive journey, suffering war and even battles against each other. At one point they decided to worship a false god and were ready to completely leave Moses’ guidance because they had gotten so discouraged. Dr. King faced times with our people where they were against him and felt that his vision was indistinct. Dr. King preached non-violence, just as Moses did and there were times the people were in opposition with him as well. Despite how hard their journeys were and how many times they wanted to give up, they did not and they continued to preach the gospel of God’s unfailing love and promise.

At several points throughout their journey the children of Israel questioned Moses, asking, “When will we make it to the Promised Land,” and Moses answered, “When God feels that we’re ready.” The similarity I see with African Americans is that God had the power to deliver us from slavery long before he did, but the facts ARE that we sold our own people in the first place. There were long term consequences and grief that we suffer still today from that tragic choice. I feel that God delivered us when he felt that we were ready and that the spirit of evil, greed and deception had been removed from us as a people. When God saw that we were ready for freedom he set us free again. After our freedom, African Americans stood for something, we owned businesses, churches, we went to college, we became doctors, lawyers, teachers, and preachers. We supported one another, we stood together and most importantly we put God first before all else. Now you look at us and it’s all about the mighty dollar. Everyone is out for themselves! Children could care two cents about what their parents say or have done for them. Back in the day, we held each other accountable for one another’s actions. Children went to school and then made something of themselves because of their respect for their family and their community. Look at all of the different Greek organizations that were formed back in the day… That was a time when we came together. Now everyone is so caught up in the hype that all they are concerned with is image, status and money. We will stab each other in the back, hate on, lie, steal and kill from one another. Back in the day we actually cared about how we looked as a people because we knew that we were a chosen people, just like the children of Israel, and it was fresh on our minds the struggle that we endured and the lives that were given for this purpose… And we honored and cherished that. Have we enslaved ourselves again within our minds, thinking that “we just need an opportunity,” instead of making them for ourselves, thinking that it’s “the white man holding us back,” instead of striving through the hard times and keeping our eyes on the prize, never giving up and laughing in defeats face, taking that same anger and pain and making it our passion and purpose, convincing ourselves that “it’s ok to use our bodies to make a living” and “sell drugs, that destroy one another, to each other, to make a living is acceptable,” instead of living as the Chosen People that God designed for us to be, of royalty and standard, showing all the non-believers that only God can take slaves and make them into presidents, believing that “we have the power and freedom to believe in whatever god/gods we want,” forgetting that there is One God, whom we will all be judged and without him we can’t live, move or have our being??…
What has happened to us???… Do we now stand for everything that our fathers before us fought for us to overcome?? Have Moses and Dr. King’s journeys been in vain?

Who is going to stand up? Who is going to stand out? Despite where you are from, what you have been told and who is around you? Who is going to lead our people by example and show them that we are a Chosen People and that the reason why we have always had to fight so hard is because the devil knows that and he has pulled out ALL his tricks in attempt to stop us from being what he knows we can be, and what Moses knew we could be and what Dr. King saw us to be! At the end of the day WE have to want it, we have to want better for ourselves and we have to make the change to make the difference.

Although both Moses and Dr. King never got to experience the Promised Land, they both were able to see it and then God took them to join him where they would no longer have to endure because their long, hard, strenuous, purpose had been fulfilled. When you die will your purpose have been fulfilled?